In the above photo of Lake Te Anau South Island, the launch has been tagged by Lew Redwood as being named Takitimu but with my eyes I think it is spelt Takitumu. So the first question today woodys is – does anyone know the correct spelling and second Q – what became of her?
Interesting day today on the Americas Cup scene – forecast is for some decent wind, so I predict the English will clean up against the Italians and secure a finals spot in the PRADA CUP. And will the Americans get their boat back together and then be competitive in the semi finals. If they do, I’ll be stretching the 4G network next weekend at the Mahurangi Regatta to get coverage 🙂
KAHU – A Peek Down Below Kahu made a brief WW appearance on WW back in 2016 and 2018 (link below), back then in the chat section, it was suggest she may have been built by either of these two possible yards – Strongman of Coromandel and Pearson of Golden Bay, Nelson.
Now thanks to a tme listing and Ian McDonald we get to have a peek down below. She is powered by a 120hp Ford diesel. Anyone care to add there view of the builder?
Input from Phil Vining – The good ship Kahu brought back some memories for me including an old photo that was taken around 50 years ago. It shows a young Phil Vining in college uniform on the foredeck of Kahu when my father Dick Vining travelled to see the boat in Mapua which is not far from Nelson. Kahu was for sale at the time and dad was looking at buying her. For whatever reason he did not go ahead but being a mad keen boatie from an early age I have kept a selection of photos over the years. Probably around 10 years later I started Vining Shipbrokers Ltd which kept me very busy for the next 35 years … now retired but still messing around in boats and helping people out where I can. During my time selling boats we had Kahu listed twice. The middle photo shows her following a major refit which was carried out during the early 1980’s when she was refastened, a new 120hp Ford diesel motor installed, rewired plus new galley, squabs etc. The third photo taken during 2009 shows her in a run down condition in Havelock – at that time we sold her to to an Auckland buyer and she was trucked North. I can see from the latest photos that she has been refitted again and looks in good nick. Our detail sheets from that period show her as being design & built by Golden Bay boatbuilder J Pearson. She was launched around 1958/1960 and the hull is planked white pine. Hope this is of interest to you and your readers. Love your site and the great work you do keeping the history & interest going around wooden boats.
HELENA This 1960 36′ Shipbuilders launch just popped up on tme. Built with single skin kauri planks, she is powered by a 120hp Ford diesel, that comfortably pushes her along at 7.5 knots. From the photos she appears to be presented in good condition.
Do we know anything about Helena’s past and what she has been up to for the last 60 years?
HELP WANT – A Slow Boat To China
Well not quite – but the ‘Waiheke Working Sail’ group are planning on taking – Kate, their 1898 trading cutter to next weekends Mahurangi Regatta and at the moment she is sans an engine so subject to wind and tide, would be most open to a tow. So any woodys that have a a few share hp, and would like to help out – contact Bernard Rhodes – mob. 027 228 1334 or email bernard.rhodes@gmail.com. Pick up would be from Rakino Island 🙂
I first bumped into the 1924 Colin Wild launch – Viveen, back in 2014 at one of the first Classic Launch & Yacht Exhibitions at Auckland’s viaduct harbour. Back then she had recently moved to a new home, in Thames, where she still resides to this day. Prior to this she was berthed at Milford Marina from a number of years.
Back in 2018 her owners gave her a birthday and under took an extensive refit. Angus Rogers snapped the above photos of her over the holiday period moored at Waiheke Island, looking very smart with her new paint job. Being a Colin Wild launch, her past has been well documented on WW – a couple of stories are linked below
Back in 2013 we ran a story on the 1938 Chas. Bailey Jnr. designed, Chas. Bailey & Sons Ltd built 55’ launch – Te Rauparaha. The focus then was what had happened to her and where was she. Good chat (link below) uncovered a lot – we discovered in 1979 she went to Noumea, New Caledonia under her own steam to start life as a charter vessel, and was renamed Samara. https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/22/te-rauparaha/
Fast forward 7 years and I get an email from her owner Valk Delevaux from Noumea, included with the email were the photos above. I think I could safely say that the Bailey family would struggle to recognise the boat they designed and built. But any owner has the right to do what they want and its only wood so someone else might one day convert her back closer to original. I understand she is for sale so if you’re looking for a old/new woody………………….
21-01-2021 Update – the engines are 2x300cv Cummins Bt06. Drive is the same but with a all new hydropique system.
We ran a story on the Owen Woolley designed and built launch – Korowai earlier in the week, then ping the inbox sends an alert and Angus Rogers has ‘found’ another photo – its a stunner – great angle, well done Mr Rogers.
Lastly we see Manuroa already at Te Kouma – doing what we would all like to do – just hanging out doing nothing. A previous owner of Manuroa believed it may have been built by Bailey & Lowe c.1912, is anyone able to confirm ?
Scotts Landing – photo ex Roger Mills
UPCOMING LONG WOODY WEEKEND
It is less than 2 weeks until Mahurangi weekend – the biggest on-the-water woody event in New Zealand – just check out Rogers Mills drone photo above to get an idea of the turn-out. Almost all of those dinghies are from a wooden boat anchored in the bay. The occasion is the regatta prize giving / BBQ on the Saturday night at Scotts Landing – all welcome, remember to bring a $20 note to buy a copy of the Mahurangi Cruising Club’s brilliant year book – its one of the best boating reads and great value.
On Saturday (30th) morning we have the classic launch parade – more details re times etc closer to the day but please make life easy for the organisers by emailing your name, boat name, and brief description your woody – design, age, length etc to admin@classicyacht.org.nz If you’re in Auckland on the Monday (1st) – as part of the Anniversary Day Regatta there will be a classic launch race. Entries for this are now open and you can enter at www.regatta.org.nz It is a handicapped race so everyone has a fair chance of winning some of the great regatta prizes
LADY RAE If you trolled back thru the CYA’s archives one of the classic launches that regularly made an appearance was the 1948, Chas Bailey Jnr designed launch – Lady Rae. Built by Chas Bailey & Sons.She last appeared on WW back in March 2014, so is long overdue for an appearance.
Todays photos come to us via the camera (iPhone) of Angus Rogers and see Lady Rae in Chamberlin Bay, Ponui Island. Keen to learn who owns her these days and what’s been done to her over the years.
There is a lot of chat in the comments section of the 2014 story – link below, I’d view K Rickett’s numerous comments lightly – back then I believed most things he said, these days there is a very fine filter applied 😉https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/12/lady-rae-3/
The above photo essay from the 2021 (Jan 9th) Russell Boating Club’s Tall Ships regatta were sent in by Dean Wright, as always stunning camera work. Dean commented that there wasn’t much breeze on race day so it was a bit of a dawdle. I’m sure that didn’t dampen the legendary post race festivities ashore.
Dean is a good lad and always tries to include a few launches in the mix, even if its a sailing event. #e like that The photos of the Colin Wild launch – Wirihana, just go to show that if you are a looker, no matter what you hang off her (SUP/Sailing Dinghy/RIB) – you’ll always be a looker 😉 As always – click on the smaller photos to enlarge.
Rakino Island (West Bay on left – Woody Bay on right)Raindance & Morgana
West Bay, Rakino IslandMarise
Woody Bay Pizzeria – Rakino Island
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON RAKINO ISLAND – click to play – the singer, Jennie Cruse is Auckland based and available for hire – 021 266 4330
LibertyWindhaven II
MariseManuroaWaiariRaindance @ Garden Cove
GARDEN COVE – 360 deg Video – click to play
WOODY SUMMER BOATING CRUISE The WW story today is a photo gallery from the 2020/21 holiday period cruise on Raindance, the photos are not always that sharp, it was more like “look there’s one” and I would grab the camera and snap a photo. Click on the smaller photos to enlarge 😉
We mostly mooched around Waiheke and Rakino Islands – had 11 great days afloat, a little blowie at times but tucking away in the right spot with a good book was just what the doctor ordered. Only had 2 hours rain on one day, so can not complain. General observation was that it was quiet in most of the bays. I understand Great Barrier Island was very popular.As always there are a few food pix to break things up. The discovery of a pop-up pizzeria in Woody Bay, Rakino was the culinary highlight of the cruise 🙂
Thanks to help from several woodys sending in photos, we were able to continue the WW stories everyday over the holiday period and the viewing / reading numbers were strong thru-out. I think that one of the few positives from CV-19 is that a lot more people have either upgraded their digital devices or are now more tech savvy and are on-line more often.
Enjoy the photos – the next big woody event will be the Auckland Anniversary long weekend at Mahurangi.
KORAWAI Woody Angus Rogers snapped the two photos above of the launch – Korawai, anchored in Te Kouma, Coromandel during the families cruise on their launch – Centaurus. Korawai changed ownership 6mths ago and that woodys is all I know about the very well presented launch. Too pretty to be a mystery – so who can enlighten us?
Input from Colin Pawson – Owen Woolley design and build. Previously owned by Beau Farrell I think.
10-01-2021 Input from Barbara Cooke – Korowai was purchased by my cousin and her partner in 1983 and moored in Milford Marina. Owen Woolley designed, 36ft with a single Ford motor. During their tenure a second hatch was made in order that my cousin could see more readily, and as she put it, carry out her back seat driving in comfort! Korowai was sold in 1985 to a fellow in Howick who owned a paint company and kept at Half Moon Bay. Was initially called Korawai not Korowai. Not sure if that still stands? corrected
NZ Power Boat Association Cap Badge – Winner Lots of entries, some amusing, some very random – but of the ones that supplied the correct answer i.e. The cap badge of a commodore of the NZPBA – the lucky winner of a copy of Brian Peets book – ‘Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy’ was K Ricketts.
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